Who lives in the Netherlands?
In the Netherlands, many people come from different countries. The largest groups of people in the country have backgrounds from Turkey, Morocco, or Suriname. The Turkish and Moroccan groups are the biggest, with nearly half a million people in each group. These groups have been growing in recent years, especially due to the second generation being born.
The Dutch names for people coming form Turkey, Morocco and Suriname are:Some numbers
The Netherlands has almost 18 million people living there, which means it’s a crowded country. On average, there are 500 people living in each square kilometer, making it the most densely populated country in Europe.
More than 10% of the people in the Netherlands are not born there, but they often have Dutch nationality. Queen Maxima is a good example of this. She is originally from Argentina. Many foreigners live in big cities in the Netherlands. They either work there or have a relationship with a Dutch person. People from Suriname live in the Netherlands because of the historical connection between the two countries. Turks and Moroccans came to the Netherlands as guest workers in the 1970s. Nowadays, many refugees come to the Netherlands from countries like Iran, Iraq, and Somalia. However, not all refugees have a residence permit. Once you have a residence permit, you are called a “status holder.” Besides refugees, many people from Poland and Romania have also come to the Netherlands. The Dutch word for refugee is : “vluchteling”: